Posts Tagged ‘EarthSky Tonight’

Courtesy of EarthSky
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The moon shines in front of the constellation Aries the Ram tonight. But the glare of the almost-full waxing gibbous moon will make the mighty Ram look sheepish in the moon-drenched sky.
The moon will turn full on November 21. This will be the third of four full moons to fall in between the September equinox and the December solstice. Generally, there are only three full moons in one season, so the
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Courtesy of EarthSky
A Clear Voice for Science
Visit EarthSky at
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The moon and solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter, shine from dusk until well after midnight tonight. They will be very noticeable as the brightest objects in the night sky.
After Jupiter and the waxing gibbous moon set in the west before Friday dawn tomorrow, look for the blazing planet Venus to rise in the east before dawn. The little star near it is Spica in the constellation VIrgo. The planet
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Courtesy of EarthSky
A Clear Voice for Science
Visit EarthSky at
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The forecast calls for the annual Leonid meteor shower to be at its best during the predawn hours on Wednesday, November 17, or Thursday, November 18. Which morning will be best for the U.S.? You’ll have to go out under a clear dark country sky to see for yourself.
If the prediction holds true, Asia should be in the best position to see the Leonids at their peak on Thursday – in between moonset and
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Courtesy of EarthSky
A Clear Voice for Science
Visit EarthSky at
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Here is the radiant point for the Leonid meteor shower. The 2010 Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak before dawn on Wednesday, November 17, or Thursday, November 18. If you have a dark sky – far from city lights – you might see as many as 10 to 15 meteors per hour at the shower’s peak. The best time to watch will be after the moon sets in the wee hours before dawn.
Many ask about the radiant
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Courtesy of EarthSky
A Clear Voice for Science
Visit EarthSky at
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Given clear skies tonight, everyone around the world will see the waxing gibbous moon close to the solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter.
After the moon, Jupiter is easily the brightest celestial object in the November 2010 evening sky. But – generally speaking – Jupiter ranks as the fourth brightest celestial object in all the sky, after the sun, moon and planet Venus, respectively. Venus won’t
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Courtesy of EarthSky
A Clear Voice for Science
Visit EarthSky at
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Given clear skies, everyone around the world will see the blazing planet Jupiter reaching its highest point tonight around 8 p.m. local time tonight. Moreover, everyone will see the waxing gibbous moon to the west of Jupiter.
Watch as Jupiter chases the moon westward across the sky throughout the evening hours tonight. Depending on where you live worldwide, the moon will set in the west at late evening
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Courtesy of EarthSky
A Clear Voice for Science
Visit EarthSky at
www.EarthSky.org
You can use the Big Dipper to find the brilliant star Capella in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer. The top two bowl stars point toward Capella, as we depict on today’s sky chart.
The phrase spring up and fall down gives you some idea of the Big Dipper’s place in the evening sky. On fall evenings, the Big Dipper sits way down low in the northern sky. On spring evenings, the Big Dipper shines
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Courtesy of EarthSky
A Clear Voice for Science
www.EarthSky.org
In our northern hemisphere, the Big Dipper is probably the sky’s best-known asterism. In other words, it’s a recognizable pattern of stars – not an official constellation. The Big Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Major, otherwise known as the Great Bear.
Every year, the Big Dipper (Great Bear) descends to its lowest point in the sky on November evenings. In fact, people in the southern part of the
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Courtesy of EarthSky
A Clear Voice for Science
www.EarthSky.org
You’re likely to see the most North Taurid meteors in the wee hours – just after midnight. This shower is going on now and might continue through the weekend. The North Taurids are generally a very modest shower, offering perhaps 10 meteors per hour. However, even one bright meteor can be a treat.
The North Taurid meteors derive their name from the constellation Taurus the Bull. If you trace the paths of the Taurid
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Courtesy of EarthSky
A Clear Voice for Science
www.EarthSky.org
One of you wrote, “Are there any stars outside our own galaxy that we can see with just the eye?”
The answer is no – unless you count seeing the combined light of many billions of stars. From the northern hemisphere, the only galaxy outside our Milky Way that is easily visible to the eye is the great galaxy in the constellation Andromeda – also known as M31. It is shown in the image at the top of this post.
In
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